Happy fall! For most, fall means changing leaves, warm sweaters, pumpkin spice everything, and Halloween decorations. But for homeowners, fall is a time to finish projects, make repairs, and prepare your home for the winter ahead.
Here are 15 tasks you can check off your list to rest easy this winter knowing your home and yard are in good shape.
1. Care for trees and shrubs. Observe your trees for dead spots and other signs of poor health to avoid falling limbs during winter storms. Hire an arborist if needed.
2. Rake up leaves. Leaving too many leaves on a lawn over winter in a snowy area can prevent spring growth.
3. Clean gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding.
4. Make exterior repairs. Look for signs of damage on your roof, siding, and foundation.
5. Seal in gaps where critters can crawl into. Mice are great at finding tiny gaps to sneak in and cause trouble.
6. Make sure your stairs and railings are in good shape.
7. Be prepared by stocking up on winter supplies like shovels, ice scrapers, road salt, and restock energy kits for your car and home.
8. Protect your pipes by shutting off water to exterior faucets. Drain your hoses and store them away for the winter
9. Apply weatherstripping around windows and doors to help keep warmth in and cold out while also cutting energy costs.
10. Test smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, and replace batteries as needed.
11. Remove window A/C units before the cold weather hits.
12. Clean out lint build-up in dryer vents.
13. Deep clean the kitchen: clean the oven, scrub tile grout, clean light fixtures, wash the garbage and recycling bins, etc.
14. Hire an auditor to conduct an energy efficiency test on your home. They can point you in the right direction and give you recommendations for improvements.
15. Make sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained, and in working order before you need to turn on the heat. Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance if needed.
We hope you found these tips useful; have a great fall, everyone!
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